(Due to its timeliness, we yield this space to the statement of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. – Ed.)
WATER sustains all forms of life. It is essential for human needs such as drinking, proper nutrition, and sanitation; for the growth of crops and livestock, to maintain the operation of industries, and to preserve our natural ecosystems and all forms of wildlife including migratory waterbirds that feed, nest, and drink in wetlands.
Despite the myriad of benefits derived from water resources, aquatic ecosystems around the world face severe threats caused by anthropogenic activities exacerbated by climate change. Rivers, lakes, aquifers, and wetlands that constitute freshwater ecosystems that only account for less than three per cent of the world’s water, an alarming figure that could threaten human survival, natural environment, and wildlife.
With this year’s World Migratory Bird Day (May 13) theme, “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” we join the global community in amplifying the call for protecting and conserving our freshwater ecosystems not only for human survival but equally so for biodiversity and the sustenance of wildlife, especially migratory waterbirds that serve as bioindicators of ecosystem health.
Inland waters and wetlands in the ASEAN region span a total of about two million square kilometers, comprising 60% of the world’s tropical peatlands and 42% of the global mangrove forests. This vast amount of wetland resources and their ecosystem functions are yet to be widely acknowledged as a response to the increasing demand for clean water and as nature-based solutions to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Well-managed wetlands can help protect the quality and quantity of water needed by all species. In times of extreme weather conditions resulting from climate change, inland waters can serve as natural reservoirs as these ecosystems recharge groundwater and provide additional supply of surface water during rainy seasons. By absorbing excess nutrients and filtering pollutants, wetlands contribute to halting species extinction by providing healthy habitats for all wildlife to thrive. Mangroves and vegetation in riverbank serve as shield from flooding and erosion and mitigate their effects to communities on land.
Several programmes to rehabilitate forests and wetlands in the region have been conducted by the ASEAN, in line with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It is also taking particular attention on urban wetlands to address the challenges of population density in urban areas and improving the quality of urban waters. Studies revealed that almost 70 percent of the world’s population will settle in cities and urban areas by 2050, and this is expected to put tremendous pressure on wetlands to provide the required demand for clean water.
The survival of over 50 million migratory waterbirds from over 250 different populations that fly along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway depend on healthy and productive wetlands in the region. Hence, a more inclusive and assertive regional stand is necessary to deal with the global water crisis and safeguard these ecosystems from which the migratory species depend. National governments must implement relevant policies to effectively manage the freshwater sources with a healthy balance of ecosystem protection and economic considerations guided by the principles of sustainable development.
